INDIANA BYC'ers HERE!

[Chaneys Ranch]

Quote: I really like the cup idea much better! I bought the nipples already, and will use them. But the cups are much sturdier looking. I would much prefer using a 5 gallon bucket i can add ice or heat to, and have it resting on bricks. I will only use a 2 gallon bucket for the nipple waterers.

On top of his great work - a lot of that lumber was warped! He had an old contractor friend that showed him how to use warped wood in such a way that it would be straight and useable in construction. It wasn't very nice to look at but after it was all painted it was amazing!

We have 12 acres available here but without a guard animal I've been hesitant to let them just totally free-range. In the beginning I only had 6 chickens so if you lose 1 or 2 it's a huge percentage of the flock! With the babies that makes 10 and at least one (maybe 2) is a rooster so that will be interesting to see how he does.

The more chickens I have the more likely I'll be to just let them go free. After I figure out sexes on the babies, I plan on getting about 5 more chickens... some cream legbars and a couple of australorps.

Love the look of the CLs and you can tell sex of babies at birth - another plus. Add that to the blue eggs and I was sold!

Check out this CL rooster from Greenfire:

— Ralph Waldo Emerson

Copyright 2009–2013 Greenfire Farms.

It sure helps to have someone capable of carpentry! I kinda muddle thru a lot of it, repurpose things too. I am enlisting DH for my big coop tho, spliting it in half with 2 doors so i can put all 30 birds in there and keep the 2 breeds separated. The CL rooster, oh my just lovely! Beautiful colors!

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

Quote:
sally, I think mine get 18% protein, and i ferment the feed. I give them mealworms 3-4 times a week this time of year too, since they aren't getting many bugs.I had a bad mess up on feed when my mom went into the hospital last year. That was before the fermenting started. My oldest daughter took over feeding while i was running back and forth. She accidently dumped 12% sweet feed into the chicken feed can. i use cans with snap on lids to store. So after eating the 12%, we only had 8 girls then... probably for a month, no eggs, and they went into a hard molt. I finally realized when i went to scoop feed for the small creep feeder, there it was, ugh

I went on a cleaning spree and replaced the food with layena. i felt so bad for them! now they rarely miss a day and i found out protein is a major issue in egg laying. My BA's are still too young, i am hoping they lay well. They are sure getting big!

 

[animallover2202]

wear do you get the nipples and cups from??? im going to ask my dad if we can use the cups and/or nipples instead of just pouring water into a bucket

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

wear do you get the nipples and cups from??? im going to ask my dad if we can use the cups and/or nipples instead of just pouring water into a bucket

I got the nipples off of ebay, watched for the best deal from a usa seller. Heres leahs mom's link:
Cup type A. (So far I like this one best. It is the less expensive at $1.70 ea.) This one PASSED THE FIRST FREEZE TEST.
I purchased these at http://www.cornerstone-farm.com/equipment/poultry-float-valve-226
www.backyardchickens.com/t/730582/indiana-bycers-here/1599
is her entire post, I am going with the "type a" nonfreezing lol! I will probably buy them before spring gets here.

 

[christybmom9802]

Well the post office called! My new babies arrived. But all is not well. I ordered 5 Millie's and 3 bantam buff brahmas. Only 2 bantams are alive and I now have 6 "filler" chicks. 2 of the fillers were barely alive and I've been holding them under a hotter light and then on a heat pad and rubbing them gently. They have now been returned to the rest. Then I went to look closer at the dead ones and one kicked so now it is on the heat pad with its own light getting massages too!! I've called Ideal and they are replacing them all. And I had them do it for the end of March and hope its warmer. I knew I was taking a chance but its still hard to see the little cute dead bodies! And so now I've had my first shipment experience.

aww so sorry!

nothing like playing nurse for a day. hopefully they perk up for you!

 

[SallyinIndiana]

sally, I think mine get 18% protein, and i ferment the feed. I give them mealworms 3-4 times a week this time of year too, since they aren't getting many bugs.I had a bad mess up on feed when my mom went into the hospital last year. That was before the fermenting started. My oldest daughter took over feeding while i was running back and forth. She accidently dumped 12% sweet feed into the chicken feed can. i use cans with snap on lids to store. So after eating the 12%, we only had 8 girls then... probably for a month, no eggs, and they went into a hard molt. I finally realized when i went to scoop feed for the small creep feeder, there it was, ugh

I went on a cleaning spree and replaced the food with layena. i felt so bad for them! now they rarely miss a day and i found out protein is a major issue in egg laying. My BA's are still too young, i am hoping they lay well. They are sure getting big!

They are on layer pellets now. I'm thinking it is 16% protein. The next time I'm at a feed store I know I will be comparing protein levels. For now I'm giving them some old meat I have in the freezer to increase their protein. I'm just not ready to ferment the feed, although I did give them wet feed the other day.


After reading the chicken care article posted this afternoon, I got to thinking I might need to take the spurs off of my RIR roosters. I would prefer a method that leaves flat spurs, but I did not see that in the article. Has anyone here dealt with spurs? Is the hot potato method really any good? I realize it would not give me the desired result bu it is easily done.

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

Quote:
all 3 of my adult boys have them, so far i haven't had to do anything with them, but i bet its coming.My Huge handsome black rooster, rebel has some wicked pointy spurs. I plan on him joining my mixed pen, he has beautiful coloring and very pleasant personality. Good post, I am really curious to see everyone's opinions on it

 

[CluckAcres]

wear do you get the nipples and cups from??? im going to ask my dad if we can use the cups and/or nipples instead of just pouring water into a bucket

I just picked up 3 last saturday from Rural King. Paid i think 1.99 each. They didnt have cups with them tho.

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

Quote: dang, sure would be nice to not wait on snail mail. wonder if TSC has them

 

[animallover2202]

kinda of a stupid question but how do the nipples work and how will the chickens know how to use them?